Falling Stars Nails

GOOD GRIEF AMANDA IT'S BEEN LIKE THREE WEEKS


...yeah. Between working heaps of overtime and getting sick twice in a row, I and my nails were in pretty ragged shape. I broke two of the ones on my photo hand, so I decided to give them a trim and a little reprieve. But I can't leave them alone forever...

I eased back into nail art with this falling-stars gradient design over black.

You know what to do...

So, the base is just a standard single coat of Wet N' Wild Black Creme. A classic. I then used my beloved L'Oreal The True Diamond, one of their Magic Topcoats, as well as OPI Happy Anniversary! (pictured) to created a shimmery gradient on the tips. I intentionally made this a bit messy, and then used the edge of the brush  to draw some lines falling down the nail towards the cuticle.

The little star stones are from the same wheel as the flower-shaped ones I used recently, from Born Pretty Store.

And! Possibly the best part... I used a relatively new-to-me topcoat, Sun Envy Gel Effect topcoat by UNT. And OMG, it's amazing. It doesn't need an LED light to cure--it just cures in natural light. I go outside in the sun so it dries faster. It's so shiny, and it doesn't damage stones, even these plastic-ish ones. Fantastic! GET IT.

So, I know these aren't my best work, but I do like them :)

I've had these on for days, and I have no chipping or anything--it's even still really shiny! Seche Vite is still going to be my go-to most of the time, but this will be my choice for going over stones from now on. Or if I need a mani to last a while :D

Thanks so much for reading today. Anyone who stuck around after that little unplanned hiatus is awesome and gets digital hugs from me <3 <3 <3

See you soon (HOPEFULLY) for more! xoxo

Born Pretty Store Review | Sparkling Flower Gems

Hello my dears! I haven't posted in nearly two weeks! I am so sorry... I have been working a lot lately, and I broke one of my nails D: it's all patched up and I have some pretty, sunny-looking nails for you today featuring these beautiful flower gemstones from Born Pretty Store!

(click to enlarge)

Click the jump to see more!

Spring Pastels | Lemon Yellow & Pink Butterflies

Hello! Yep, I'm still here. There are so many things happening in my life right now--I know I'm not updating very frequently--but I haven't given up :)

It's quite a warm spring here in sunny Queensland, so I did these bright, cheerful nails to match!

(click to enlarge)

Elegant Dragonfly & Stripes: Born Pretty Store Nail Charms

Ciao a tutti! Boy, it's getting warm here in northeastern Australia. It was about 40C yesterday. Summer is fast approaching! It means I'm sweating my bum off, but it also means I have lots of bright sunlight for showing you the third review item Born Pretty Store sent me: these beautiful dragonfly charms!

(The website says they are bowknots, which I can kind of see, but I think they look more like dragonflies, so that's what I'm calling 'em!)

The charms are about 1.5cm across the wingspan, and 1.7 from the top of the pearl to the end of the diamante tail. They are thin and delicate, but still seem well-made. The tail is free-swinging, and I was able to bend the wings gently to fit more around my nail. I wouldn't recommend doing this very much, because I think they would break off eventually.

I didn't realise they had the little loop on top when I saw them on the website. I think I will actually wear these more often by attaching a hook and wearing them as earrings! Because as gorgeous as they would be for a special occasion, they are a bit on the large side for everyday wear on the nail.

As a backdrop for the dragonflies, I used two coats of Zoya Hudson, a shimmery lavender from their Spring 2014 collection, and a white striper to add some vertical lines. That was pretty, but I wanted even more shimmer, and to soften the contrast between the purple and white, so I added a coat of L'Oreal #802 The True Diamond (one of their "Magic Topcoat" polishes). Seche Vite sealed that in, and then a drop of nail glue adhered the charm! (If you have access to it, a drop of acrylic would definitely keep it in place as long as you wanted!)

I feel so pretty and dainty with these on! Makes me want to attend a wedding or fancy dinner. It would certainly be a conversation-starter!

You can find these charms here, as well as so many other beautiful nail art supplies. As usual, don't forget to apply discount code CITYG10 for 10% off any order!

Thanks for stopping in today. Have a lovely day and I'll see you next time! xoxo


*product sent for review--the experience described above is my honest opinion and was not influenced in any way by the retailer*

#31DC2014 - Day 16 - GEOMETRIC nails

G'day and welcome (back)! It's day 16 of the 31-Day Challenge. This day has historically been "tribal", but that's been changed this year to the less-controversial, more fun, and easier-to-interpret "geometric". Really, the fundamental idea is the same. Geometric shapes in your design. But... I went with a more literal interpretation of the theme...

Indoors with flash

Haha! Actual geometry on my nails. Fun, eh?

I started with two coats of Cult Nails Falling Hard, a beautiful pink creme. I knew I wanted a matte base for my sketches, and matt-ified shimmers are très awesome, so I topped the pink with L'Oreal #802 The True Diamond, one of their "Magic Top Coat" polishes. It's SUCH a pretty combo--here's what those two looked like together before I went any further:

Outdoors in sun... so sparkly!

As much as I loved that look, I had to press on with my vision, so I added a coat of OPI Matte topcoat and let it dry completely. Finally, I grabbed a black fineline Sharpie and started drawing everything I could remember from my geometry classes in school.

The thing about Sharpies is that you really only get one try--I didn't want to attempt cleaning up with rubbing alcohol and risk messing up the base--so the sine wave is a little uneven and my cone's a wee bit wobbly. But overall, I'm happy with it!

One more in sun, with Falling Hard in hand

These really take me back! Geometry was actually one of the classes I enjoyed. Feels like forever ago.

*nods* :D

Righty-o, hope you enjoyed these! See you tomorrow! xoxo

Rainbow Clouds

Bom dia, belezas! :)

Today I have some fun, fanciful, stamped rainbow clouds for you!

Outdoors in sunlight